Related videos:
A brief report published on the official Facebook profile “Con Todos la Victoria” recently informed of the detention in Matanzas of a 29-year-old man accused of transporting 30 liters of “aviation fuel.”
The post, without images or further details, sparked a flood of reactions on social media, where the case has been questioned, ridiculed, and used as a symbol of the moral and social collapse in Cuba.
The fact: 30 liters, six bags, and one arrest
According to the official report, the accused has been identified as Bryan Carlos Castillo Noda, an operator of the Fuel Marketing Company of Matanzas.
The police intercepted him with six plastic bags containing 30 liters of a fuel that the aforementioned source identified as "jet fuel," allegedly stolen from his own workplace.
The post asserts that "the police intervention culminated in the arrest and criminal prosecution by the Justice," and celebrates the outcome as part of a "ZERO TOLERANCE" policy against illegality.
The statement concludes on a triumphant note: "even the most powerful 'turbo' is not enough to escape the law."
Technical jokes: Jet fuel?
One of the main sources of mockery and criticism in the comments was the technical inaccuracy of the term "aviation gasoline."
Several internet users recalled that jet planes do not use gasoline, but rather Jet A-1, a highly refined type of kerosene.
"Turbine engines don't burn gasoline; they burn kerosene, or as the old-timers would say, 'jet fuel,'" explained one user, to which another responded precisely: "Neither gasoline, nor kerosene, nor jet fuel; it’s called turbo, more commonly known as Jet-A1."
Another commentator with experience in the sector elaborated: “Jet A-1 is a type of kerosene fuel used in commercial airplanes (Boeing, Airbus), executive jets, and turbine helicopters.”
This confusion in the term used by the official source provoked multiple sarcastic comments: “And where was the plane parked?” asked an internet user. Another added, “With 30 liters, it's not even enough to warm up the engines.”
Another robbery in a broken country
Many users downplayed the seriousness of the incident and placed it within the desperate situation of the Cuban population. "30 liters? Don't exaggerate, because in this country they steal much more... by truck," wrote one person.
Another user speculated: "Maybe she did it to buy milk for her child because the government doesn't sell milk for small children."
Other voices were more blunt in their condemnation: "In Cuba, if you work with crap, you steal crap. If you don't, your family doesn't eat," declared an internet user.
“That boy they call a thief is an example of a man who has never had problems with the law, and the family is suffering from that injustice,” added another.
"30 liters of gasoline are being kept by the bosses in tanks at their homes to go to the beach. It is unfair and incoherent," concluded an outraged user.
Polarization: Justice or Double Standards?
As often happens with this type of news, the polarization was immediate. Some users defended the police's actions and echoed the official slogan of "zero tolerance."
"Instead of criticizing these people, one should criticize the one who is giving them two pounds of rice from early last year," someone pointed out.
“Did you know… very illegal… he lives with his 90-year-old grandmother and we don't have anything to light the charcoal,” shared a woman who suggested she was close to the arrested individual.
The tone of several comments also highlighted the human cost of this detention.
"A young man marked for life in Cuba. Where everything is illegal," "If this is true, they should be ashamed to take the trouble to publish this. With a decent salary, one wouldn't reach that level of desperation," criticized another.
The official publication aimed to illustrate an exemplary act of justice, but ended up opening the floodgates to social demands, technical criticisms, reports of inequality, and, above all, mockery of the official narrative.
The story of the young man accused of carrying "jet fuel" in plastic bags shifted from being a minor news item to becoming a symbol of a fractured society, where for many, the real crime is not stealing fuel, but living in a country that forces them to do so to survive.
While some celebrate the arrest as a victory for order, others see it as a sign of state failure and the desperation of those who can no longer afford to heat their meals.
Filed under: